The blasting sound of a bass guitar playing against the sharp definite sound of a requinto is brought together by the melody of a classic guitar. Lyrics that are testimonies to life experiences are all recognizable elements of corridos.

The corridos genre has been a prominent part of Mexican regional music for decades. Corridos are a form of storytelling traditionally accompanied by guitar.  Recently, however, subgenres of corridos, such as corridos tumbados, have been rising in popularity with youth. 

Artists like Natanael Cano, Junior H and Eslabon Armado have been major influences in establishing the corridos tumbados subgenre and propelling it to the musical spotlight. 

Corridos tumbados mix the ideals and sounds of old corridos with hip-hop/Latin music. They are also known as trap/narco corridos, as the lyrics often refer to drugs, parties, lust and gangs, which are usually underlying themes. 

Some artists, such as California-born singer-songwriter Ivan Cornejo, also include themes of true love, heartbreak, life’s beauty, struggles and strong friendships, which differentiates his take on the genre from the mainstream. 

Ivan Cornejo started out uploading covers of popular songs on Instagram and TikTok. Some of his most popular covers include “Te Encontre” originally recorded by Ulices Chaidez and Eslabon Armado, “Que Envida”  performed first by T3R Elemento and “Jueves 10” a song Junior H first made famous. In these songs, Cornejo uses an effect called “reverb,” short for reverberation, in his music, giving it a calm and melancholy effect. 

These covers gained heavy traction in September of 2020, in the corridos tumbados community, motivating him to start producing music. In 2020, he released his first song, “Noche de Relajo,” with Mazana Records. Under Mazana, he would drop three albums: “Alma Vacia,” “Dañado” and “Dañado (Deluxe).” 

“Sad serraños” are a subgenre of corridos tumbados that focus heavily on heartbreak, unreachable love and the feeling of missing someone, but these songs can also be romantic. Most writers of this genre use the rhythm and sounds of corridos tumbados: classical guitar, Requinto (a 12-string guitar tuned a fourth higher than a standard classical guitar) and bass guitar. But instead of letting the instruments be the main element of the song, the lyrics are prioritized. Overall, sad serraños tend to be quieter and slower, focusing more on the raw emotions being played in the song. 

Cornejo’s first extended play, “Alma Vacía,” is a true sad serraño, including six tracks. One of them, “Esta Dañada,” reached over 40 million streams on Spotify, and to this day is still one of his most popular songs. 

A year later, Cornjeo’s album “Dañado” debuted, with its most popular song being “J.” The album is still in the classic sad serraño style, mixing the ideas of romance and the agony of missing someone after a breakup. However, in “Dañado (Deluxe),” Cornejo started to slowly incorporate his own elements, creating a unique style that would set him apart from other artists in the genre.

Cornejo’s song “MIRADA” uses electric guitar, piano, drums, violin, and background vocals to create a unique mix of alternative/soft rock and Mexican regional music. His music is inspired by artists such as Tom Odell and Jeff Buckley, as he mentioned in his interview with Los Angeles Times. 

Initially, his lyrics were based on his past experiences with love, but now he is more focused on the experiences of his followers, as he explained when he was a guest on Agushto Papa podcast. Cornejo makes an effort in his music to connect with people and help his followers feel heard when his lyrics mirror his listeners’ personal experiences.  

“Sé que no estoy loco, me miras tan distinto y sabes bien que lo noto, tu piel se hace de hielo cada vez que te toco, y nos vas congelando poco a poco,” read the opening lyrics of “MIRADA,” the ninth track in Cornejo’s new album of the same name. The lyrics translate to:

“I know I am not crazy, you look at me so differently and you know well that I notice, your skin turns to ice every time I touch you, and you freeze us little by little.” 

Students at Loy Norrix who listen to his music find solace in the lyrics and can relate it to their lives. 

“It helped me out through a certain situation I was in, and I feel like it brought me comfort,” junior Jasmin Garay-Martinez continued, “and just made me feel like ‘oh, I’m in a safe space.’”